Sep 10, 2016
I love the holidays and all they entail, including stories centered on the spirit of Christmas.
I’m happy to claim one as my own—A Ranger for Christmas. A novella, it’s featured in the USA Today bestseller, Our First Christmas, which has just been published in a mass market edition for the first time. It features stories from authors Lisa Jackson (Under the Mistletoe), Mary Carter (A Southern Christmas) and Cathy Lamb (Christmas in Montana).
Ready for some holiday romance?
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Sep 8, 2016
“Mary Burton – petite and soft-spoken – makes her living murdering people.” That’s the first line of The Virginian Pilot story on New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton. Read the rest for more about Mary and to get the scoop on the Hampton Roads Writers Conference.
Sep 1, 2016
Virginia State Police Agent Dakota Sharp confronts The Dollmaker’s handiwork for the first time—
A tall, lean woman in her early thirties approached him. She was dressed in jeans, a loose T-shirt, leather jacket, and booted heels. Ink-black hair skimmed her jaw, a delicate cross on a chain hung around her neck, and a detective’s shield was clipped to her belt. Her lips were fixed into a grim line.
He recognized her. She was new to the Richmond division of the Virginia State Police, having transferred in from the Tidewater area.
Sharp pulled his badge from his breast pocket, held it up for her to see, and attached it to his belt. “Agent Dakota Sharp.
She extended her hand. “Agent Julia Vargas. Thanks for coming so quickly.” Her handshake was firm, her gaze direct.
“What do you have?”
Agent Vargas rubbed the back of her neck as she glanced back toward the body. “I received a call from the local deputy because this scene is so odd. One look and I knew I needed a second set of eyes.”
“Male or female?”
“Body of a young female. I’ve seen a lot of heinous acts, but this one takes the cake.”
“What’s different about her?”
She shook her head. “You’re going to have to see it for yourself.”
“Okay.” He tugged a set of black latex gloves from his pocket and slid them on over his hands. “Lead the way.” She turned toward the yellow tape, raising it to allow him to pass first. A ring of officers and forensic technicians parted as he approached.
For a moment, he simply stared at the scene. His brain didn’t quite process what he saw until he brushed away the shock and refocused.
Leaning against the tree was the body of a woman, dressed like a doll. White billowy dress, knee socks, shiny patent-leather shoes. However, it was her face and eyes that took his breath away. Her eyes were tacked open, revealing unnaturally large pupils staring sightlessly at him. Her face was painted white, cheeks tinted a blush red, with eyebrows arched in a thin line. The hair, twisted into twin braids, was a wig.
His gut clenched. When he spoke, his voice sounded ragged, rough.
“It’s paint?”
“No, it’s not paint,” Agent Vargas said. “It’s ink. All tattoos.”
Copyright 2016 © Mary Burton
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Aug 31, 2016
Did you miss THE SHARK’s debut in May? Want to take a quick peek? Here’s a short THE SHARK excerpt to enjoy and, if you’d like, to share with friends.
“Shield is based near Quantico. We handle mostly high-end problems that our clients need dealt with quickly and quietly.”
“Such as?”
He traced a path through the condensation of his glass.
“Discretion is a big part of our appeal. But we generally find missing things or people.”
“Nothing illegal.”
“Nothing unethical.”
She didn’t press that point. “I’m guessing Shield Security is doing well judging by the suit.”
“It’s rewarding. By the way, you dress well.”
She arched a brow. “Stop, you’re going to make me blush.”
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “We appreciate your discretion on the Carter arrest.”
“If you hadn’t asked for silence, I would’ve given you credit.You passed up a lot of publicity.”
“Which is exactly what we never want.”
Small gold earrings dangled from her ears. He remembered she’d been wearing them during their night together five years ago. “So, if you’re doing so well and making money hand over fist, what’re you doing on my case?”
He sipped his water, allowing the ice-cold liquid to cool his throat. “My boss, Joshua Shield, and I were both with the FBI twelve years ago and assigned to New Orleans. We investigated a series of murders. Four young women were strangled and their bodies left in plain sight in the space of weeks.”
Sitting back, she folded her arms. Her expression was blank, as if waiting for the punch line. “Not following.”
He realized she didn’t know about the four women. “At each murder scene the detectives found five playing cards. They all were hands from a five-card stud poker game. Three were definitely losing hands. One wasn’t terrible, but likely not good enough to win. And in handwritten black ink, Loser was scrawled on each.”
Carefully, she leaned forward and tapped a fingertip on the side of her glass. “Like my victim.”
“Exactly.”
“Was the handwriting the same on the cards?”
“Same word but each set appeared to be written by a different person.”
“You said this guy killed four girls. And let me guess, they all had a similar look. Like Vicky.”
“And like you, which you already know.”
Aug 27, 2016
I can’t resist a quick share of reader response via amazon.com to The Shark, the first of my The Forgotten Files novels. “Outstanding!! . . . Mary Burton’s books are so full of suspense they are hard to put down.”
(Yvonne)
“Will keep you on your toes from the first page to the last. The end . . . was a real shock.”
(Joan J)
“Didn’t want to put this book down. A love story but with mystery, intrigue and more.”
(Diane P)
THANK YOU to all who have shared your response to my books on Amazon, Goodreads, among friends and elsewhere. I always appreciate the support and the outreach to other readers. The Dollmaker is next in The Forgotten Files and is out on November 15.
